You know the kind I’m talking about… the kind of friend that comes in and makes themselves at home, that fills your fridge with baby bottles, who knows where the dishes are in your kitchen and helps themselves. The kind of friend that you can be 100% real with. That you can get your hands dirty and work with, that cooks beside you or brings a dish for dinner, who treats your kids like their own, and who doesn’t care what you look like in the morning… crazy hair, no makeup and all!

I love these kinds of friends!

We have been so blessed with the people God has placed in our lives.

Two weekends ago, we met up with Brad’s college friends for an Iowa State football game. These friends, although we are rarely in each other’s homes, are cozy enough to crash out in pjs and glasses for a late night game of Taboo. Who email you to ask what kind of bike to buy (since they know Brad loves biking). Or who you can just kick back and have some good quality conversation with.

The friends we made when moving to Chicago, volunteered to watch the boys (in our home) so I could go to my OB appointments alone when I was pregnant with Ethan. (All you moms with multiple kids know what a treat that is!) These are the same friends who brought us meals when he was born and after his head surgery. Who I can text and ask them to pray for us. Who we do life with… whether building our shed, watching each other’s kids, or helping them move and paint. We are in it together.

This past weekend, we were so thrilled for a weekend visit by some friends from Indiana. It’s funny how after months and months of seeing each other at the library’s storytime, Julie and I finally decided on a playdate… and from that playdate grew a wonderful friendship between both us and our boys. It was an off week if we didn’t get together for a playdate. And it was one of the things I missed most when we moved. This weekend, all 5 of our boys played so nicely together and we got in lots of talk time, a game night and a trip downtown. Although it has been a year since we last saw them, we were able to pick right back up where we left off. And I was once again reminded of just how blessed we are to have such good people and good friends in our lives.

So to our friends, both old and new… we love you all and are so thankful for you!